


Puppet

by LuRomisk



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Anal Sex, Ass Play, Blow Jobs, Character Death In Dream, Coercion, Double Penetration, Human Bill Cipher, I Tried, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Bad At Titles, M/M, Manipulation, Masturbation, Mental Coercion, Not Beta Read, Pain, Possible Character Death, Public Blow Jobs, Public Hand Jobs, Public Masturbation, Public Sex, Rape, Rating May Change, Seduction, Semi-Public Sex, Sexual Coercion, Teasing, What Was I Thinking?, Yaoi, demon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2018-05-28 15:18:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6334102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuRomisk/pseuds/LuRomisk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This an AU (Alternate Universe)! Dipper and Mabel are 17 and visiting Gravity Falls for the first time. While there, Dipper makes an unusual friend, an older man by the name of Bill Cipher. Unbeknownst to him, Bill is a demon with his heart set on using poor Dipper for his own pleasure and to escape his confinement in Gravity Falls. But first, Bill has to get on Dipper's good side; shouldn't be too hard considering Dipper is pretty much an outcast in his age group.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Exploration

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written any fanfiction (or really anything) for about more that a year, so I'm sooooo sorry if it sucks. If someone is willing to beta for me, please contact me!
> 
> I will add a warning for chapters including sexual content. (None this chapter!)

“Come on, Dipper!” Mabel whined dramatically as she jumped in the passenger seat of their great uncle Stan’s car. Dipper couldn’t help but roll his eyes in frustration. Their parents had decided to send them to this tiny town of Gravity Falls, Oregon to get them to understand a world away from the city. It didn’t help that this was their parents’ last summer that they could dictate since the twin’s would be eighteen at the end of the summer and starting their final year of high school. Dipper didn’t overly mind the stay here, he could read in peace, explore the woods around their “grunkle’s” house/shop (known as the Mystery Shack) and just geek-out without being teased by the city kids of California. His sister’s continued whining cut through his thoughts.

“Ugh, I’m coming, I’m coming!” he groaned, opening the door and getting in the back behind his twin. After a couple days of of just sticking around the shack, their Grunkle Stan was going to show them around town. The man was pushing 70, if he wasn’t that already, and had a bit of an attitude and wasn’t afraid to show that he drank on a regular basis.

“All right, kids,” Stan said as he started the car and turned it around to the path towards town. “Since I’m sure you won’t want to be seen with this old man, I’m going to drive you to the far end of the town and you can walk the area back here for lunch.” He slowed down a bit and pointed to a building with a sign reading ‘Greasy’s Diner’.

“Sounds like fun!” Mabel piped up. We can have a twin adventure!” She turned in her seat to beam excitedly at Dipper, who returned her smile with the smaller version of his own. She was always so upbeat and friendly; she wouldn’t have any problem enjoying this ‘vacation’. After a bit of driving, the twins were dropped off with a hour and a half time limit. For the next half hour, the twins made their way around town. The town was pretty small and they had more than enough time to explore deeper. They stopped in front of a huge statue of someone they assumed was the town founder and sat for a moment.

“I think we’ve seen everything and we still have almost an hour.” Dipper said with a slight smile. “I kinda want to go into the bookstore and take a look around; do you want to come with?” Mabel shook her head.

“I saw a craft store right across the street from the bookstore. I’m going to go in there and look for some yarn. Meet back here in about 40 minutes?”

“Sure,” Dipper hopped up from the bench and looked at his phone for the time. There was one thing wrong with their vacation; his signal wasn’t great here. He could send messages and do phone calls, but doing anything requiring internet was out of the question without WiFi. Good thing he brought plenty of books. He sighed a bit and shoved it back into his pocket before proceeding to the store. Once inside, he stopped and looked about. There weren’t many people, and by that, there was only the person behind the front desk absorbed in a book and a snoozing black cat on a shelf who seemed to be the only out of the two that noticed his presence and opened one eye to peer at him. He didn’t waste much time looking at the labels on the bookcases until he found the mystery section. It was close to the back and was rather bare. He would be lying if he didn’t find the situation a little disheartening; sure he had brought some books with him, but he had read a few of them multiple times already. With nearly half an hour to himself, he decided to read. He picked a book up and looked around before plopping down on the floor and opening the book. 

About a dozen pages later, a shadow stretched over the book as a figure stepped up. The figure cleared his throat to announce his presence as if the fact that he was blocking Dipper’s reading light wasn’t enough. More frightened of the ominous figure than angry about being interrupted, Dipper looked up and locked eyes (or rather eye) with an older man with short blonde hair that curled ever so slightly at the nape of his neck, light stubble on his chin and a black eyepatch covering his right eye. The man was probably in his early 20s, no older than 25 and was rather well dressed with black slacks, an almost golden button up shirt and a jacket that was rather long in the back and nearly touched the floor; to further add to his nearly antique appearance, he had on a black bow tie and carried a dark wood cane. He smiled and leaned down to look at Dipper. “Well, hello there, Pinetree~” he practically purred. The teen couldn’t help but look confused.

“Wha..? Pine Tree?” The man smirked a bit and pointed to Dipper’s hat; he had gotten it from the gift shop in his Grunkle Stan’s shop. “Um.. I-I have a name, it’s Dipper. What’s your’s and what do you want?” he stuttered. He could have sworn he had seen the man’s eyes flash yellow for a moment. At this, the blond leaned down and extended his hand to Dipper.

“Bill Cipher.. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Pine Tree.” He was purring again and all Dipper could do was take Bill’s hand and shake it. He suddenly felt… odd. As his smaller hand made contact with Bill’s larger one, he felt as if his hand was on fire, despite the fact that Bill’s hand was cold as ice. On top of this, Bill didn’t seem so keen on letting it go; in fact, Dipper suddenly found himself lifted up by the man, successfully causing the book to fall from his lap and to the floor with a soft  _ thud _ . Bill pulled Dipper a bit close and smiled.

“Surely you can’t be comfortable reading here on the floor. Follow me, dear PT.” With that, he released Dipper and turned away, walking past a few bookshelfs. He called back to Dipper, who was still a little awestruck at the odd contact he had just made. “You won’t be disappointed~”

“Um…” Dipper quickly picked up the book and followed the older man as he walked past the aisles of books and into a corner that had a door. The teen stopped in front of the door and looked a bit worriedly at Bill as the man reached for the knob. “Are we really allowed to go in there? I mean, usually back doors are for employees only.” Bill seemed to find this funny and chuckled at his new acquaintance.

“Trust me, Pine Tree; I go in here all the time. It’s my personal reading space.” With this said, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. It was dark inside and Dipper couldn’t see much as Bill entered the room. Curious, Dipper followed, having to shield his eyes from the bright light that had suddenly appeared when he stepped in; Bill must have turned on the light. He heard the door close behind him and blinked a couple times as he took his hands away from his eyes. He heard Bill’s voice behind him as his eyes adjusted.

“Well, what’dya think?” Now Dipper was finally able to see, the light appeared to be dimming a bit to normalcy. Overall, the room was small. It looked like a place the shop would store old or new books before dumping or shelving them. But there weren’t boxes and boxes of books; instead there was a couch on one side that had a fluffy brown blanket and a blue pillow tossed on top. A thick and rather comfortable looking comforter was on the floor near the middle of the back wall, pillows were against the wall and another blanket, this one blue like the pillow on the couch, was on top of the comforter. A couple stacks of books were nearby, there was a desk that had a laptop and there was a TV on a cart (most likely used to show kids educational videos) in the corner. Overall, it looked like a place that Dipper would frequently inhabit and he fell in love with the area right away.

“This is amazing…” he managed, looking around at the area. It was so simplistic, so inviting, and it was like a dream. A place to be away from everything, a place to just read without his sister yelling in his ear and doing dumb stuff; this is what Dipper needed. He turned to Bill and looked up at him, a grin on his face. “I can really read in here?” His voice had a hint of excitement as Bill smiled softly. He only had about twenty minutes left to read and relax before Mabel expected him at the statue.

“Of course, Pine Tree. Don’t see many kids reading anymore nowadays, it needs to be encouraged.” He walked across the room to the couch and plopped down. “So, kid. This can be your area for some peaceful reading if you do one thing for me.” Dipper seemed intrigued and stepped up in front of Bill.

“Yeah?”

“Sit with me and tell me about yourself!”

For the next forty minutes Dipper talked to Bill. He told him what California was like; Bill seemed rather interested in the whole ocean concept and admitted to the teen that he had grown up here in Gravity Falls, unable to really leave the area due to certain circumstances. Dipper told Bill about school, his successful projects and scientific curiosities. He told him about Mabel, his parents, the few friends he had, and even about their pet fish. He could have told him about his interest in anomalies, his near obsessions with things that most people labeled as fake, but he was afraid this information may push the older man away and Dipper wanted to keep his newly found acquaintance. All the while, Bill kept an arm casually draped around Dipper’s shoulder. At first this made Dipper visibly uncomfortable, he wasn’t used to being touched, but soon he grew used to it and even leaned closer to Bill on a couple parts of his stories. It wasn’t until he was done that he realized just how long he had been talking. The clock on the wall indicated that it was nearly 1 PM, Dipper was supposed to be back with Mabel by 12:30.

“Oh no.., Mabel is going to kill me, I’m so late!” He jumped up, mildly surprising Bill who stood up afterwards. How had he managed to not notice that he had been talking an entire extra twenty minutes?

“Got somewhere to be, Pine Tree?” Billed asked, fixing his sleeves.

“Yeah, my sister and I are supposed to meet my great uncle at a diner, like…” he glanced at the clock. “--ten minutes ago.” He heard Bill make a  _ tsk _ -ing noise playfully.

“Well, it seems I’ll have to see you later then, Pine Tree.” He saw Dipper looking at the book in his hands as if contemplating to put it away or not. “PT, this is your space. No one will miss that book because the people in this town don’t like mysteries; they want everything plain and simple or full of fantasy. Just leave it here and you can read it whenever you come visit.”

“Wouldn’t that be stealing?”

“Not if it doesn’t leave the shop.” Dipper thought for a moment; Bill had a point. Once he was done, he could just return it to the shelf and read another one. And he wouldn’t even have to use the money his family was going to wire to his and Mabel’s cards once or twice a week. He set the book on the couch and walked out with Bill who closed the door after them.

“It was great meeting you, Dipper. I hope to see you again sometime.” Bill said, a small smirk playing on his lips.

“I’m free a lot of the time; I do chores every day until about noon and work with Grunkle Stan all day Tuesdays.” Dipper looked up at Bill as they walked towards the door. He noticed that the shopkeeper was now cleaning off some shelves and the cat had moved on somewhere. 

“How about we meet tomorrow? The statue, perhaps? Since you’re new here, I’ll give you a little tour of my favorite places.” Dipper beamed and nodded excitedly as Bill led him outside and the sun beat down on them. It wasn’t hot yet, just too bright and overbearing.

“Sounds great!” Dipper said, outwardly excited” “I-I’ll meet you here at about one tomorrow?”

“It’s a date,” Bill nearly purred, turning and starting to walk away from the teen. He turned a bit as he walked to wave and call to him. “Just make sure you pay attention to the time, Pine Tree.”

Dipper flushed a bit at his mistake before waving back and leaving in the direction of the statue. He lifted his watch to look at the time, at this rate, he’d be back at the statue by-- Dipper stopped dead in his tracks as the face of his watch stared back at him. 12:25 PM. But the clock in Bill’s hideaway said the time was way past that. Perhaps the clock was set forward twenty minutes. It would be useful, considering one could get lost in a book and not realize the time. Dipper walked the way back to the statue, thinking about the odd man what they were going to do tomorrow.

 

***

 

The rest of the day passed by rather boring and slow. Dipper and Mabel got the the Greasy’s Diner about ten minutes early and ate with Stan, talking about what to expect for the week to come and what chores the twins would be doing in their time at the shack. They were in charge of their own clothes and sweeping the shack every night. They were also expected to clean the yard and vacuum at least once a week. Other than that, Stan would ask for random, not too difficult tasks, for the twins to complete before they had the day to themselves. On Tuesdays, the tour buses would usually make their rounds and both were expected to be in the shop to help with the bustle of customers.

Following their meal, Dipper and Mabel played a board game and explored the woods close to the house. There wasn’t much there, not that they saw anyway. They winded down with pizza that Grunkle Stan ordered then took turns showering before settling down in their room. It was a nice sized room in the attic with two twin sized beds on each wall and a table in between them under the window. There was a single closet, but the two didn’t really bring much clothes anyhow. Mabel liked to knit her own on some days, so had only brought about a month’s worth of clothes. Dipper had only brought a week’s worth; he didn’t mind wearing them twice and/or doing laundry every week. Mabel already had her stuffed animals set up around her bed, despite her age, she still took some of them to new places to help her sleep. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been before, in which much of her bed would consist of stuffed creatures. Dipper set some books and an alarm on the table between them before laying down as well. Mabel fell asleep pretty quickly, but he couldn’t. For some reason he had started thinking about Bill and couldn’t get his mind off him. At least he had made an acquaintance here on his first day; maybe his summer here wouldn’t be too dull. But there was something odd about Bill; something that made Dipper worry about forming a possible friendship with the older man.

At some point, Dipper had managed to fall asleep.


	2. Grand Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised, Bill shows Dipper a couple places in Gravity Falls. While showing the teen around, he learns that his task of earning his trust is a lot easier than he first expected. Along the way, we get a glimpse into Bill's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, this too a long time to write. I started around the beginning of the month, but with school things, it just wasn't possible. I'll be graduating on the 26th though and will start the third chapter during this next week. There are a few parts in this chapter I don't like, but I promise the next chapter will be better!
> 
> (Also, this hasn't been fully proof-read, I'll go through it in the morning to fix some bits, but it's after 3AM so..)
> 
> CRITICAL INFO IN END NOTES

There was no doubt in Bill’s mind that he had just scored his escape. And as an added bonus, it seemed this teen was someone he could  _ play _ with for a while while he prepared for his leave. Yes; soon he would be free from this hick town and spreading his power all over the world! Bill couldn't help but chuckle a little at the thought as he strolled back to the bookstore and finished up his ice cream cone. He thought he deserved one after finding Dipper and it was really one of the few human foods he thoroughly enjoyed. The blond didn't waste much time walking in the shop and walking past the empty front desk and into the back where the room he had just showed Dipper was. After glancing around, he opened the door and slipped inside. He looked around at the room; the couch, the comforter on the floor, the stacks of books, even the television in the corner. He had to admit the setup was rather cozy and he found himself somewhat wishing that Dipper was still present so that he could fully enjoy it. But he didn’t have time to waste; with a snap of his fingers, the room suddenly disappeared. A never-ending swirl of color and stars took their place, filling the room from all angles, making Bill appear to be standing on nothing. A single item stood in the center (though, is there a center of infinity?) of the room, a door that seemed to lead nowhere. Bill walked nonchalantly to the door, swinging it open and stepping inside. Upon closing it behind him, he found himself in another room, a dull, dimly lit basement. He leaned against the door as he sighed softly in relief.

“Home sweet home,”

 

***

 

Dipper woke groggily the next morning; he had dreamt about Bill, but he didn’t quite remember it. Perhaps it would come to him later in the day. He looked over at his sister’s bed to see it already neatly made and Mabel nowhere to be seen. The clock on their inbetween table read 11:46 AM; he had a little over an hour before he met Bill. He groaned as he sat up; it would take a while before he got used to these beds. In a matter of minutes, he was dressed, his hair brushed a bit under his cap, and downstairs pouring himself some cereal. Mabel was already finished and sitting in the living room with Grunkle Stan. It didn’t take terribly long to eat and wash his bowl. Once he was done, he sat on the couch until about 12:30 before getting up and announcing his departure. Mabel immediately took interest.

“Oh~?” She put her hands to her cheeks and watched Dipper as he neared the door. “Are you going to meet a  _ girl _ ?”

“What? No, of course not!” Dipper squawked as he opened the door. “I’m going to the bookstore for a bit.” Mabel pouted, her dreams diminishing.

“Be back for dinner!” Stan yelled after him as he closed the door and crossed the yard toward the trail leading to the town.

It took him about ten minutes to get to the statue and Bill was nowhere to be seen. It didn’t really surprise him though, after all he was ten minutes early. He opted to sit on the same bench that he and Mabel had occupied yesterday and waited. About five minutes later, he saw the blond walking towards him; he waved and stood as Bill neared him.

“Well, well, Pine Tree, looks like you found your way here on time, and early nonetheless!” Dipper flushed a bit as a smirk played on Bill’s lips. Dipper was about to comment that the only reason he was “late” the last time was because the clock in Bill’s hideaway was wrong, but the older man quickly threw his arm around him and was leading him away from the statue.” Ready for the grand tour?” Dipper nodded excitedly.

“What kind of places are we going?” Bill smiled and pointed his cane (Dipper momentarily tried to figure out where such an object came from; he hadn't seen Bill carrying it when he arrived) in a seemingly random direction.

“Well, there's not much to see here in town, and you did mention that you and your sister explored the area yesterday, correct?” Dipper nodded. “So, I thought we could look around the edges of town. There’s some wonderful places here in Gravity Falls!” It was hard for Bill to smile while talking about this place. Despite its small nooks of wonder one could find if they look hard enough, he hated it here. Nevertheless, he had a one-way ticket out of this hellhole and he wasn’t going to lose it. A trust exercise of climbing the water tower should lock this kid in his loyalty. He quickly led him in the direction of the rickety structure. Dipper looked a little worried as he looked at the tower.

“We’re going up there?” His face was paling a bit as his voice wavered. Bill simply smiled.

“It’s no problem, Pine Tree! I’ll take care of you. Promise,” At this Bill pulled the teen a little closer, visibly comforting him.

“Well, all right. But if you let me fall--” Bill laughed at this.

“I would never do such thing to you, dear PT.”

Luckily, the ladder was in okay shape and they were climbing up at rather quick pace. Bill was behind Dipper the entire time, coaching the shaking teen until they were finally at the top. Bill was leaning against the railing and Dipper was sitting with his back pressed firmly against the tank, his body refusing to move. Just the thought of standing and looking down at all the town and their possible impending doom made his stomach tie itself in knots. And then, just as before, Dipper saw Bill’s shadow creep over him and a gloved hand was extended to him.

“That’s no fun, PT. Come join me up here.” Dipper glanced around worriedly and took note of all the damage to the platform. There were holes in a couple spots, not big ones, but enough to make the teen worry. He looked up and locked eyes with Bill, Brown eyes met green and suddenly Dipper felt safe. He reached up and took Bill’s hand was pulled up into the man’s arms where he clung to his jacket for dear life and squeezed his eyes shut. Bill chuckled and walked him to the edge, managing to pry the teen off of him and put his hands on the rail instead.

“Open your eyes, Dipper…” Bill softly commanded. Dipper hadn’t noticed it right away, but the use of his name by the blond made his cheeks turn red for a few moments. Nevertheless, he opened his eyes.

The entire town was splayed out for the two of them. Looking around, Dipper could see every store, even the top of the Mystery Shack beyond the trees. He could see a lake being fed by a waterfall that he hadn’t known was there before, cliffs connected by an old bridge and clearings that were sure to be great camping spots not far from the comfort of home. Bill pointed in the direction of the waterfall.

“I live around there; if you would like, we can go there sometime.” Dipper looked up at him. Was he inviting him to his house?

“I’d like that…” There was silence for a few minutes; Bill was staring out at the town, a somewhat serious look on his face, but Dipper was watching Bill. The bright afternoon light was causing the blond locks to shine like gold and the teen couldn’t help stare. After a while, Bill turned to him and looked at him curiously.

“See something you like, Pine Tree?” Bill purred playfully. Did his ticket have a little crush? Oh, this was going to be fantastic.

“Wh--No, no, of course not!” Dipper quickly defended, his cheeks flaring up scarlet again. Bill smirked as he get closer to the teen and looked down at him, being at least half a foot taller.

“Are you sure, Dipper..?” Bill’s voice was in a low, husky whisper as he slowly reached up to cup Dipper’s cheek. All the teen could do was stutter and stare up at the man, managing to get out a few words.

“I..I’m sure..” Suddenly Bill retracted, his hand going back to the rail and his face no longer inches from Dipper’s face. Dipper sighed in relief as his cheeks started to cool down. Bill smiled playfully at the teen.

“Let’s not let this day go to waste! How about the lake, then I can show you a couple of spots I like in the woods.” Dipper nodded as Bill moved towards the ladder. There was no way that Dipper felt anything for him; he didn’t heat up when Bill got close or wish that Bill’s lips that were oh-so-close to him before had been even closer or... 

Dammit.

With a bit more coaching, Dipper found himself able to get down the ladder, a little less shakily than before. He and Bill didn’t exchange many words as they walked toward the public lake.

“There aren’t usually many people out on weekdays.” Bill explained as they followed the trail to the lake. Dipper could see water glaring at him as the sun beat down on it. “Tomorrow is Saturday though, so there may be a few people setting up things for a weekend fishing spree.” In a few moments, they were there. Dipper looked around to see a shack and a few boats tied to the dock. There were no boats out, but a couple trucks and people loading things onto the boats for a full day of fishing or sailing tomorrow. “Do you want to rent a boat?”

The question caught Dipper a little off guard, but he nodded. The last time he had been on a boat was when he was about ten at the Gulf Coast with his sister and parents. Bill told him to stay put and disappeared for a few minutes in the shack before returning with a shiny pair of keys. He led Dipper to a smaller, but rather nice motor boat and the two stepped aboard. As Dipper sat, Bill slipped his jacket off and threw it on the seat before starting the motor and started toward the middle of the lake. Once he was there, he killed the motor and they sat in silence for a moment as Dipper peered down into the deep, dark water. For once, it was Dipper who started the conversation.

“So, I told you a lot about me… What about you? What’s your story?” Bill looked over thoughtfully and leaned over, his elbows on his knees as he started talking.

“My story? Most people don’t have interest in that sort of thing.”

“Well I do,” Dipper piped. “Friends usually know about one another, right?” Bill inwardly smirked at this;  _ friends _ ? Wow, this kid was easier than he thought.

“I suppose they do, yes.” He thought for a moment before beginning. “I’ve lived here my whole life, as far as I know. I don’t have any family here any more, they’re long gone.”

 

It wasn’t quite two centuries ago when the heart that beat strongly in his chest and the blood that flowed in his veins was more than just an illusion. When he was a living human with living parents and living siblings and a life to call his own. It was the year 1843 and Bill Cipher was eleven years old; he was the eldest of four siblings, a brother and three sisters. His father was a blacksmith by trade and his mother was usually homebound due to a long going sickness. Per usual, he and his younger brother were playing in the dirt road with the wooden toys their father had gotten them for Christmas a few months ago. His two sisters were sitting on the porch where their frail mother was sitting in a rocking chair with an open book. She was reading to them, her voice soft and delicate, the girls watching in wonder as the words created a far away place in their mind away from this harsh settlement. Most women didn’t read much on this part of the map, but with her illness, Mrs. Cipher didn’t have much else to do.

It was evening, and their father was due home from work soon. Dinner was already prepared and waiting on the stove; his mother and a nice woman from next door made dinner every night together because their mother was so ill; it would only be another year or so until his sisters were old enough to help. Unlike many other families during this time of newfound settlement, Bill could honestly say that his was happy. His parents loved one another and their children dearly and wanted the best for them. Despite the odd looks and comments he received from some townsfolk, their father worked hard until their bookshelves were filled so his children could learn to read. Bill, being their first child, had been reading since he was four, his siblings had started a little later. Books were the only real delicacy in their home, they didn’t have much money for other things.

When their father returned home, they all went inside and had dinner. Bill, who was rather animated and talkative at this stage of his life, told his father about his schooling and everything else he had done that day. His father listened to every detail and every word that Bill stumbled over due to overexcitement. Later that night, as the family was getting ready for bed, his mother’s health had suddenly regressed. She had vomited so much to the point of blood and went to bed with a high fever. Their father sent the children to bed about an hour earlier than usual.

The next day was one of tragedy. The children awoke and their father made them breakfast; some bread and strawberry jam their mother had preserved herself. When they finished, he told them that their mother had taken a turn for the worse late last night and was taken to the local medic to be taken care of. The children attended school that morning and came home to their father and doctor sitting on the porch. Their father’s eyes were red and puffy from crying and the doctor wore a serious face. Their mother had died later that morning after the children had gone to school. The rest of the day was solemn and silent; their father had gone to work to take his mind off things and the woman who regularly cooked with their mother brought a dish from her home and promised to bring one every night if the children would bring her the ingredients in the morning. 

Day, weeks and eventually months passed. At first, their father worked nearly nonstop, then less and less until he wasn’t working at all. They had hit rock bottom and their family was falling apart fast. Being the oldest, Bill was expected to take care of the children. He sent his oldest younger sister to help Mary from next door make their meals, he helped his other siblings with their studies and got them to bed at a decent hour. When he turned twelve, he quit school and worked as an assistant for the new blacksmith that had since replaced his father. And then his father started drinking.

 

“Bill? Bill!” The blond was suddenly jolted out of his memories and looked up to see Dipper looking at him worriedly. “Are you okay? Did I make you remember something bad?” Bill just ran a gloved hand through his hair, and sighed softly as he tugged at some of his hair before letting his hand fall. Of all the things he could think of, why had he thought about that? It was usually rather easy to spew out the same lie he told everyone else; he hadn’t thought about his life as a human in a good century. Dipper was still watching him worriedly, so he fixed himself up.

“No, I’m fine, Pine Tree,” he breathed softly, preparing to state his common lie. “My parents moved here because it was quiet and small. My mother was really sick, she passed away when I was 11 and then my father killed himself…” Bill looked up at Dipper to see the teen’s eyes wide.

“I-I’m sorry…” He felt Dipper scoot closer to him as he put on his usual depressed features that came with his tale. His hand, which was now on the seat beside him, was taken up into Dipper’s smaller hands and held tightly. “Bill…”

“It’s fine, Pine Tree,” the blond softly interrupted. The look on Dipper’s face told him that the teen didn’t believe him. “I wouldn’t lie to you, Dipper.” With a somewhat defeated and relieved sigh, the teen released Bill’s hand.

“Okay, but--” Bill quickly held a finger to the boy’s lips, his usual smirk back in place.

“No buts, Pine Tree; let’s just enjoy the lake for a bit and then have some lunch.”

 

***

 

The two stayed on the boat for another half hour or so. Dipper started up a game of “I Spy” and the time went rather quickly. Bill then announced that it was getting nearly time to leave and the two headed back to shore and left the area after Bill returned the keys to the shack. There wasn’t much of an option when it came to eating, so the two went to Greasy’s Diner and sat at a booth across from one another. They ordered and started talking once the waitress left.

“So, Bill…” Dipper said, looking down at his hands. “I was wondering, about the thing that happened on the water tower.” Bill cocked a brow as he sipped from his coffee. “I don’t know what was going on with me. I don’t want you to think I’m just here because I’m lovestruck; I really do like hanging out with you. I feel really confident when I speak to you.” Bill leaned back a bit, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

“Even if you did have a little crush on me, PT, I wouldn’t blame you..~” he purred, playfully adjusting his bowtie. Dipper snorted in laughter.“I am rather ravishing.” He smirked and chuckled a bit himself. “But, honestly, Pine Tree, think nothing of it. Afterall, we just met. For all we know, you’ll hate me by the end of the month.”

“I doubt I’ll hate you,” Dipper reasoned, leaning back as well. The two were quiet for a few more moments before Dipper piped up again. “So, where are we going after this?” Bill set his coffee down.

“I thought we could go to another spot I like. It’s not very far from here actually.” Dipper nodded and thanked the waitress as a plate was set in front of them, a club sandwich each and a large order of fries for them to share. They ate in mostly silence, neither really knowing what to talk about, especially with the whole boat ordeal. And so, they chatted. About Dipper’s schooling that Bill took quite the interest to (he said that schooling had dramatically changed since the last time he was in the classroom), about his near friendless student life in California, and a few other things that they hadn’t talked about yesterday.

About halfway through their lunch, a buzzing sound initiated in Dipper’s pocket. Pulling out his phone, he way Mabel’s face on his screen; couldn’t he have just a moment of silence? He looked at Bill sheepishly before turning away from him and answering it. Before he even had the time to say anything, he heard his sister giggling on the other line.

“Hey, Dipper~” She drawled out his name; he rolled his eyes as he moved a bit closer to the edge of the booth. Bill cocked a brow and watched him.

“What do you want, Mabel?” The sighed, his voice just over a whisper.

“Grunkle Stan said you should get home soon. The shop has an unscheduled bus full of people sitting outside and Wendy and I can’t handle it on our own.” Dipper sighed and looked back at Bill who feigned a smile, making the teen’s lips to lift in a small smile as well.

“All right, fine… I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Dipper!”

“Yeah, bye..” There was a click before Dipper even finished speaking. He shoved his phone in his pocket and and turned back to Bill who wore a curious look.

“What’s wrong, Pine Tree?” He set his elbows on the table and clasped his hands, resting his chin on them as he watched the teen.

“I have to go back to the shop. Sorry, guess we have to cut this short.” Bill smiled a bit and sat back.

“It’s fine, PT. I know family comes first.” Dipper looked relieved as Bill said this. He was glad his friend understood. “How about we meet again. Here, I’ll give you my phone number and you can text or call me.” He reached out for Dipper to hand him his phone; once the teen’s phone was in his hands, he put his name and number in the contacts and handed it back to him. While Dipper saved the number and stuffed the device in his pocket, Bill went to the register and paid what they owed. He walked Dipper out and the two stood for a moment at the road starting toward the Mystery Shack.

“I should get going; thanks for the great day, Bill.” The blond smiled and shrugged.

“It’s nice to talk to someone every once in awhile. Text me and was can do it again sometime.” The teen nodded and both parted ways, Dipper to the shack and Bill the the bookstore. It may have taken a bit out of him to travel this way to get back home, but he preferred it over anything.

 

***

 

Dipper made it back to the Mystery Shack as people were already crowding the store. He didn’t waste much time cleaning up and taking Wendy’s place so that she could restock a few things and then take a break. Wendy was about his age and had been working at the shack for a few years. She was an attractive girl about the same age as Dipper with long red hair and light freckles dusting her cheeks. The teen would be lying if he said he didn’t like her at least a bit. She was the outdoorsy type though and Dipper preferred to stay indoors; she was also really chill in certain situations while Dipper usually flailed and failed in many situations. To put it in layman's terms, they were polar opposites. He worked for about an hour until all of the people left. Stan came over to count the register, jamming most of it in his pocket before handing both Mabel and Dipper fifty dollars each.

“You’re only getting this because the tour bus was so sudden.” Stan explained as Mabel looked at the money happily and Dipper put his in his pocket. “Other than that, you’ll have to wait until the end of the week for your cut.” With that said, he dismissed the two.

The twins decided to spend the rest of the day playing a videogame in the living room while Stan stayed his office and then sat on the porch in the evening. It took Dipper until he was getting out of the shower to remember about texting Bill. He sat on his bed while Mabel went to the shower and pulled out his phone to text Bill. Just as he was about to let his fingers dance over the keys, he froze. What was he supposed to say? After about ten minutes of worrying, he finally came to a consensus.

_ Hey, it’s Dipper. How much do I owe you for boat rental and lunch? _

 

***

 

Bill was sitting in his living room when his phone buzzed. It had been rather uneventful for him after his departure from his ticket; he had mostly just stayed in his basement reading. He had read a lot of the classics over his many years trapped on this Earth and had since moved on to commercial literature. He found that reading these had helped him get into a little more modern thinking. He had gotten a computer and cellphone after reading some. It was typical for a human to own such things and stay in touch with those around them on a regular basis. It was so different from his past life when some people only saw each other a couple times a month; now even the most distant people were a send button away.

The blond picked up phone up from the table and read the message before replying slyly. It was his ticket; he was wondering when he would contact him.

_ You don’t owe me anything, PT. <3 _

Emoticons; something else he learned from commercial literature and the social networking world. He found that, from his time working on finding provisions and possible escape tickets on the Darknet, they worked rather well in formulating false relationships with people. He set the phone down again and laid back on the couch as he sighed. A lot of the time, he disliked this human body; it required him to sleep at least a few hours a night and eat every couple days as well. He used to be fine with it because it made him feel more human and he was able to sleep his boring days away, but it was more of a problem than a blessing now a days. He didn’t want to remember that stuff, had left his human life behind; that memory on the lake was just a weird occurrence, he wasn’t even sure why he had thought about it. His phone buzzing pulled him out of his thoughts. He picked up his phone and read the response:  _ You sure? _ He fingers somewhat lazily danced over the screen as he typed his response.

_ Of course! Now get some sleep, good night. _

After stretching, he stood and went to his bedroom. He would have to start making preparations for his escape soon, but for now, he needed to rest. He had already spent over two centuries here, what was a few more days?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We got to see into Bill's past! A have a lot more for his past written, but I decided to cut it and sprinkle it into the following chapters to everything sort of falls together. Anywho, please keep those comments and Kudos coming, they really motivated me to keep going! Comment what you would want to see in the next chapters and maybe I'll add it in!
> 
> CRITICAL INFO:  
> So, this is an AU, an Alternate Universe. A lot of the things that exist in the cartoon will not appear or even exist here. The Journals, for example, do not exist, and nor does Ford. There are some things that I have made up for this world (like something you'll see in Bill's past) that make it possible for Bill's plan to work without using the three journals and pretty much the entire Gravity Falls plot. I wanted to do this in order to add a bit more suspense (hopefully) and to just give you as readers something a little different to expect. <3


	3. Bill's Past/Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I didn't realize it had been so long... I've been dying to finish this and it's a long way from being completed. I'm trying my best to find the inspiration to write again, so I apologize if this is the only chapter for a couple weeks.
> 
> Also, I didn't really take the time to read over EVERYTHING, so I skimmed what I had of this chapter and simply finished the scene. I figured it be better to get this out and polished later than try to get in deep with it and then not finish it again for another year. Again, I've very sorry and I hope you enjoy what I have coming.
> 
> (I also may do a little one-shot BillDip, I'm not sure yet.)

Alcohol was a common thing in the settlements, at times it was the only thing to keep a working man sane. But, with his positive lifestyle and loving family, their father never found a reason to touch the stuff. At some point though, he had taken some of the money he had left and purchased a few bottles. He drank nearly nonstop and was growing violent as the days moved on. He yelled at the children and one day when Bill returned home from work, there was a bruise on his sister’s face; he had hit her. From that day on, Bill paid Mary a bit each week to take care of his siblings until he returned home. He moved the books to his and his brother’s room under their bed; their father had found that he could sell them for a pretty penny in order to buy more booze.

This went on for what seemed like forever. When Bill was fifteen an odd man came into the shop while the blacksmith was away.

“You’ll have to come back when Torvald gets here.” he called out, his eyes not leaving his book. It was his only escape nowadays. A sultry voice replied and Bill could hear the worn counter creaking from the man leaning on it.

“I see you reading quite often here. I was wondering if you’d be interested in a book.” Bill looked over to see him. A tall man with dark hair and dark facial hair to match. He looked about thirty-five, maybe a little older. In his hands was a book, leatherbound and blank faced.

“A book? I don’t have much to spare at the time.” He was about to turn back, but the man chuckled a bit, drawing his attention back.

“There’s no cost, dear boy.” Bill looked at him curiously but closed his own book and stood nonetheless.

“Books don’t typically come free of charge. What do you get in return?”

“Satisfaction,” The man’s lips curled slightly into a smile. “I’m getting old and I have no use for literature anymore. I would love to see this passed on to a young lad like yourself.” Bill looked him up and down. He seemed to be telling the truth and what harm was there from taking a free book? The most that could happen is that he didn’t like the book and he could just pass it on or even sell it.

“I suppose…” the blond replied, moving toward the man, the only thing separating them was the counter.

“Now, it may seem like an odd book, but it’s worth reading entirely. It’s gotten many people through… _tough_ times.” With this, he set the book in Bill’s waiting hand. He studied the blank cover and the thin ribbon that was sticking out from the worn pages.

Bill looked up to thank the man, but he was gone.

That night, Bill sat in his room and opened the book. The first thing that he noticed is that it was all handwritten (and handbound). There was no title to it, just paragraphs and the occasional hand drawn image. The images were… crude, to say the least. Just flipping through it, Bill could tell it was probably something along the lines of a fantasy encyclopedia, or even a witch’s book. The very thought of it being a witch’s book made Bill want to drop it on the floor and burn it, but he was curious. He read until well into the morning hours, learning all his could from the book. There were writings about the woods that surrounded their settlement of Gravity Falls; supposed creatures and summonings that could be performed in some areas. He slept for a few hours before getting up and taking the dinner ingredients to Mary and the children to school before getting himself to work. His father, all the while, was passed out on the kitchen table from another night at the bar.

Near the end of his time at work, Bill got another few minutes of silence. He decided to finish reading the odd book, and, upon turning to the final page, was confronted with a diagram. If the rest of the contents weren’t enough to say so, Bill was sure that this image pointed to the possibility of this being a witch’s book. The diagram was of a circle with various curvy designs Bill could only guess were letters in a tongue he didn’t understand. On the sides of the image, there was the same, almost rushed, writing that had appeared before:

_“When in a bind that cannot be fixed through a mortal’s might, one may call upon a malignant spirit. Make a deal with this spirit and everything you ever wished for can become a reality.”_

Anything? Bill reread the small section again before sitting back. Could he use this to make everything normal again? To bring his father back to work and his mother back as well? He closed the book and shook his head. An act such as that would be nothing but trouble. It would be the act of the devil.

 

Bill woke with a bit of a start. Sitting up in bed, he looked around to see everything as it had been when he had fallen asleep last night. His phone was beside him on the bed, a little green light flashing to notify him that he had a message. He picked up the device, checking the time (9:23 AM) before opening the message. It was from Dipper, asking if he wanted to come to the shack tomorrow, Wednesday, since his sister and great uncle would be going to town that day for the weekly shopping. The blond had avoided seeing the teen for the past few days; he needed his ticket to yearn for him and his presence. He typed out his message before sending it.

_I would love to; just text me a time and I’ll be there._

Setting his phone down, he laid back on his bed with an exhausted sigh. That dream, or rather, that memory, was odd. It wasn’t uncommon for him to think about his past every now and then, but so vibrantly and within the same week? It was nearly ridiculous. But maybe, just maybe, it was a sign of his upcoming escape. Just thinking about the memories, his time as a human and why he was stuck in this world to begin with, was making him want to work at escaping even more.

 

***

 

Mabel had woken Dipper up at an unreasonable time that morning. Unreasonable being a little after seven. It was Tuesday and they had work to do. This was their work day, the day that Stan said was most busy and he wouldn’t get any rest until late afternoon or evening. Despite his strenuous workload he had to look forward to, there was nothing else he could think of but Bill Cipher. The blond had certainly made an impression on the teen and Dipper couldn’t deny that his heart had skipped a beat when he saw Bill’s message including a heart emoticon. Was something so simple and childish really making Dipper fall hard for this man? No, it couldn’t be. It was just admiration, he was sure. After all, Bill had said it himself. The two barely knew each other and had a bit of difference in age. Dipper was only 17 and Bill, well Dipper could only assume that Bill was at least in his mid-late 20s. And most importantly, was Dipper even into men? He had dated a few girls here and there, none lasting longer than a couple months, but Bill was something else. Every time he got near him or even thought about him, Dipper’s heart sped up and he could feel his palms get sweaty. Could the teen be falling for him? And if so, would it even be possible for Bill to return the feelings? The other day at the water tower, was Bill just messing with him or did he have a hidden innuendo? Frustrated, the teen reached up and took in his hands two fistfuls of hair and tugged on them. He’d have to figure something out quickly. It had only been a few days without Bill and he was already going insane.

Once he was dressed and downstairs, he ate with Stan and Mabel before going to clean up the shop. It was only eight in the morning and Stan said the first bus would arrive at about nine. That gave him an hour to think about how to overcome or face his predicament with Bill. It wasn’t until he was almost done that he finally thought of something. Stan had mentioned before that tomorrow was their shopping day. He said that he always went to town to deposit some money before spending a bit on himself and things they needed around the house. He had told the twins that he would give them each some money before sending them both on their way to do whatever. Maybe he could meet Bill in town again? But then he could risk Mabel following him and ruining anything he had with Bill, be it friendship or otherwise. Perhaps the shack?

There was no use thinking about it much more. With Stan and Mabel out of the house, he had a place to talk to Bill without feeling too nervous; despite the town being a small one that he had already memorized, he still felt like an outsider there. At least in the house he could speak freely. He quickly sent Bill a text before slipping his phone back into his pocket and continuing to clean.

 

***

 

There were things to be done before Bill could leave, many things indeed! Even so, there wasn't much he could do yet. Dipper seemed quite reliable, but there was no way he would waste his powers on him if he turned out to be a fluke; he had made that mistake before. The very thought seemed impossible, as the boy was already blushing over him.

Bill opened his closet and reached up to the shelf, grabbing the book that was there and looking at the cover. Blank, dusty, and still somehow eerie. He bit his lip as he ran his hand over the smooth leather, stopping when his fingers touched some blood that was splattered there. He was going to get out of here. And he wasn't going to fuck it up.

The rest of the day went by quickly. It had been a good century since he had last been this close to escape. And still, he could never forget the process. Most of his day was spent in the woods, gathering what was needed from the special nooks and crannies of Gravity Falls. He took the things back to his home and put them away in the basement along with the book. It was nearly nightfall by now, but Bill felt as awake as ever. And how could he sleep, or even rest for a moment, knowing that everything he has ever wanted and wished for will soon become a reality? Laying in his bed, he thought of what to do next.

  
  


More time passed and Bill’s siblings were growing older. His brother was working now, his sister was now able to make the meals on her own, and his other sister was still in school. He was nearly twenty now and without a bride like many men his age. His father, after a drunken fit a few short years ago, had ended his own life. He didn’t have to work quite as much since his brother was now working as well. For once in a long while, it seemed as if everything was going just fine. But even in the time of good grace, Bill kept the book at his side. He had his sister sew him a pocket on the inside of his jacket so he could carry it with him without rousing much suspicion; it was a witch’s book after all. She had playfully teased him about still reading at such an age; he should be working and starting a family of his own, she would say. Not wasting his time with his nose in a book. It was true that nearly all of his siblings had given up reading, all but his youngest sister, Adelia. She craved knowledge and Bill had done everything he could to assure she went to school even if it was uncommon for girls her age. Thirteen was the age that most girls would start being set to marry, but Adelia was reading and even teaching younger children. It filled Bill with a sense of pride that surely only a father could have. And why shouldn’t he? Afterall, Bill practically raised her from the ripe age of six to current day. He would be lying if he didn’t admit that she was his favorite.

With his brother also working, Bill found it easier to leave work early on some days. On these days, he would help Adelia with her homework that usually consisted of a bit of arithmetic, reading, and Bible study. After they were done, Bill would take her on an adventure; even after years of doing this, Adelia never got bored. Bill showed her things that he had learned about from the book. There were many different areas to the settlement, many nooks and crannies that couldn’t be found without the book. And sometimes, when Bill could think of nothing, he would do the forbidden; he would perform spells. Only Adelia knew and she had promised not to tell; there was no reason for her to anyhow, she would do anything for her brother who worked so hard to put her through school. The spells were all simple, but somewhat draining to Bill. The first time he had read one from the book aloud, he had passed out for a couple hours in the woods. He wasn’t with Adelia that day. But now that he had practiced enough, he was able to perform small spells without much effort and even the occasional draining one. This usually included things such as levitation and making objects disappear. It would be an understatement to say that Adelia had been terrified when he first introduced her to this, but he had convinced her that it was a gift from God as an apology for their tragic life. Even so, Bill wasn’t so sure that this God that they had been taught to fear and love was real. How could an almighty being exist and allow someone, whether it be him or another, to harness even a fraction of His power? Despite his doubts, Bill still made a model man out of himself. He attended church on Sundays and taught his sisters to be good, God fearing people like everyone else. There was no way he would allow his family to feel and befall the wrath of a possible entity.

One day following a morning service, Bill instructed Adelia to go to their home and get some food for a picnic. It was a common thing he and sister would do on Sundays. Bill headed straight for the woods, taking their usual route to a small secluded section they had found with the help of the book. They called it their own space; away from prying eyes and the growing town, where Bill could read to Adelia or perform spells for her. There was something special about the place, the serene feeling, soft grass and overall glow of the area made Bill feel warm and free, and there was no doubt it made Adelia feel the same.

Time passed; ten minutes, Bill wasn’t overly worried, twenty minutes, he had certainly began to pace. At nearly an hour, he was nearly panicking. Sometimes Adelia could get caught up in things in town, whether it be a quick chore or chatting with an older citizen, but an hour? Standing from the stump he often used for a seat, he started out of the clearing, heading for the bushes that hid the entrance well. He was only when he neared them that he saw them moving; standing back a bit he smiled a bit as he spoke.

“Adelia, where have you--” He stopped short. This wasn’t Adelia, but a man, that appeared from the bushes. He looked familiar, but as he stepped back and looked him over, he just couldn’t remember. “Who are you..?” he asked cautiously. The man in question had a bit of height on the blond; he was older with dark hair and a bit of dark facial hair as well, if one looked close enough, they could probably see a bit of grey as well. When he spoke, his voice spilled out like a silk.

“I’m surprised you don’t remember me.., after all, I gave you something quite valuable a few years back.” he smirked, setting his dark eyes on Bill in a playful but knowing manner. It didn’t take Bill but a moment more to know who this man was.

“You’re the one that gave me the book..!” he exclaimed, his hand suddenly flying to where the book was hidden in his coat. He pulled it out and looked at the cover before looking over at the man again. “You’re the one that gave me a witch’s book.” This caused the man to burst into laughter.

“A witch’s book? Dear boy, witches can only dream to have the power that book holds.” Bill looked at him, puzzled. If not a witch’s book, then what was it. “What you hold in your hands is no mere bedtime story, boy; it’s an unlimited encyclopedia of power.” He frowned a bit before continuing. “And despite my generosity, you’re yet to use it to its full potential. Pray tell, dear boy, has your life not been difficult? Aren’t there things you wish to bring back or change?” Bill looked away for a moment.

“Of course there is.., but I’ve lived through those things, and I’ve become strong for it. I have my family, my siblings, and they’re content.” He saw a smirk appear on the man’s lips.

“I see…” He reached behind him suddenly and yanked someone out from the bushes. With an outcry of surprise, Adelia was thrown between the two of them. Bill yelled out for her in surprise, but the man had his hand around her wrist so tightly, she was unable to go to him.

“Adelia! Wh-what are you doing with her?” Bill demanded as he glared at the man and stepped forward. The older man chuckled and pulled her to stand in front of him. In his other hand, a dagger appeared, immediately at her throat. By instinct, Adelia began to struggle, only stopping when he pressed the blade against her delicate skin.

“There’s a little something you haven’t done for me yet, Mr. Cipher. I’m sure you’ve read that lovely little section in the back, no?” Bill swallowed, nodding gently as he watched the man with fierce eyes. “Then you know what it entails, don’t you?” For a moment, the man took the dagger away from Adelia’s throat, reaching into his pocket and producing what looked to be a sharp pointed teaspoon. He tossed it in the blond’s direction with a smirk. “A formidable sacrifice, boy. An eye for your wildest dreams. Do it and no harm will come to the sweet girl.”

“M..My eye..?” Bill stuttered, picking up the spoon and staring at his own reflection in the worn silver. He was crying, he could see that now. His bright blue eyes glazed over and pale face reddened. His eyes flashed up to the man. “Do you promise?”

And promised he had. In less than five minutes, Bill was on his knees screaming in pain, tears mixing with blood as his sister cried out and struggled weakly against the man’s strong arms. The pain he felt was excruciating and he wanted to vomit or pass out or even both. But he couldn’t. There was no way he was going to let that man hurt Adelia. She was the world to him. With a sicking  _ pop _ it was out. Bill’s vision in his left eye was blurry with tears and exhaustion as his shoulders slumped and he weakly looked up at the man, whom was still holding a dagger to his whimpering sister’s throat.

“T..There..” he managed, his voice coming out in a choked sob. “It’s done, now release her…” The man wore an amused smirk on his thin lips, watching the blond.

“Oh, dear boy; it’s only just begun.”

Bill screamed as he watched the man’s arm move suddenly, crimson flying as his vision blurred more and more until all he saw was black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect more soon! I was hoping to do gore/inktober this year, but I didn't get as good at drawing humans as I'd like. Instead, I'm going to try posting little one shots using the Gravity Falls crew each day next month! Well, hopefully. Don't be surprised if I miss a day or two.


End file.
